Multimedia lesson December 2, 2011

I used this app below to create a multimedia lesson for the 21st literacies learner.  We have been using the iPad so I thought that the students would benefit from creating their own stories with the help of the creative choices they could pick.  I have been letting the students follow along with stories in the iPad and interact with them by flipping pages and such.  This app allows the students to pick from three objects as the bus driver a character in the app asks them to.  They use motor skills and  creativity. Each student created their own story and a drawing to go with it.  It has such ideas as Dont' Let the Pigeon Rule the World  or wear purple underpants.  I found this app to meet the needs of my students and yet it was fun and very hands on for them while they learned to discuss sequence of events and details in stories.  I hope you find it to be a helpful tool for your 21st century learners.  

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dont-let-pigeon-run-this-app!/id459749670?ls=1&mt=8

Multimedia project October 27, 2011

      Well I have made an awesome little birds story.  I really liked making this project for my parents of my class.  It really helped me educate myself about my iPad2.  Although I know we should not use them all the time.  My students and I have gained a lot of technology awareness this year from me having it in the classroom.  My project allowed me to look closely at the gains my students receive because of their interaction with it.  I realized that the ipad2 helps with motor skills, eye hand coordination, and interesting subjects and themes.  The students have been interactive with apps, stories, and leveled games.  It has allowed me to help my nonverbal student be able to repeat and say and identify the letters A and B.  My project was a great way for me to reflect on the positive aspects of this new technological literacy tool.  I really liked how it allows the parents and teachers to be in control of the sites children can access.  I look forward to more great experiences with my ipad2.

Art speaks!

                                                    Compose Critter Jar   by Anna Freeman
On September 22 Dr. Long took our class on an artistic adventure to discover some artist we had on our campus.  The exhibit was in honor or dedicated to two wonderful artist I was proud to call friends.  Molly and Doug Eubank were two kind and talented people that I met through Chowan College.  Doug taught me pottery and Molly was his wife.  They both recently lost their battles to their illnesses.  We will miss them greatly and so walking into the exhibit I was very emotional!  I was draw to this because it reminded me of Doug's unique pottery.  I loved the brown earthy color and the critters on the side.  It was warm and sitting nice with a cut lid in top.  I enjoyed the exhibit and it helped remind me why I love art so much!  It is free expression at it's best and we are allowed to read it and enjoy it how ever we wish.  Art is an important part of my life.   Express yourself when you can.

Semiotic representations are communication with many modes.

Translation is unique and different for each person.  When you see a flower it may make you think of something which spurs another emotion which causes you to be happy or sad.  The interpretation can be unknown or unexpected!  Students can translate things we expose them to differently and show a different take on works of art.  A poem may cause someone to want to draw or paint or make a statue. When people express this representation it is Semiotic!  A written or visual translation to an art can be very expressive for some.  Students pull from their personal reactions and experiences when they use artistic expression.  Written or drawn expression is an art form!

The new arts of today!

You can have a perception of a piece of art or in a you tube video!  How do we use the two in a classroom!  We can but, carefully with respect to being creative in art.  Art gives us feeling and expression and it can be sound, sight or any reaction.  Many people who do not like expression do not like abstract art and find things different to be strange.  In art in any expression we must stress that it is the artists right of freedom to imagine.  An artist dance is created from their perception of the music and so a person reads a great work and is moved to perceive a feeling.  Artists use different modes for their creations and they must use a design to pull their perception together. The production is the last step so this is the same when a person writes a blog or a wiki.  We have to accept perception but, we may not care for the expression!

Being Infused with technology.

Students may be exposed to technology at school but not always at home.  Not all families still have a computer with internet at home for students to use in homework assignments.  It is hard to believe but, students living in today’s times are not surrounded by the tools that they may need.   You and I would think that a computer or the internet is a given in a young persons life!  Not so because their family may be Digital immigrants and not think it is necessary.  Just a year ago I got a smart phone and I am still learning how to use it.  To send pictures to email accounts and download things on my phone just seems so star trek!  How can we make sure that the students are ready for a world that is on it’s way when they do not have access?  Educators must do our part and surround them with the vocabulary and interaction.  We could just jump on the web for everything but, it must have purpose.  Educators can use technology as a lesson enrichment to make the learning updated.  The student can still learn and have a product they have to create using the internet and great language arts.   They can use computers to create poems or papers.  They can find websites that help back their learning and it can all work together with learning targets and objectives that meet the standards for learning.  We as educators must think deeper and search ourselves for more “I can” statements to help our student learning with 21^st century technology.   

Yes, I am a Digital Immigrant!

I am proud to be a Digital immigrant!  I can remember getting on a computer for the first time in 6^th grade.  It was so big I could not see over me.  I have come a long way.  I have used type writers, word processors to write my papers to graduate Chowan college in 1995.  I have been on the World Wide Web and joined Face book. Now I can email and text from my phone and send my Graduate papers to my professor through a goggle doc.  I am even now writing on my own blog!  A lot has happened in our world and I am able to a lot more then I thought I would.  I have had to learn and it has not been easy but, unlike the natives it is not already in my everyday learning.  The students we teach have been exposed to technology from the time they are born.  Parents are texting, using computers and the internet.  The most technology my mom and dad used were the VCR and the turntable to play their Elton John records.  I think it is something you have to want to learn because it is a process that the immigrants are not always familiar with. My students in my kindergarten beg me to let them get on the computer and to use my ipad2 to play games in school.  These are a part of their vocabulary such as cassette player and boom box were mine and let’s not forget walk man!  I will never be a Digital Native but I sure will work hard at being a Digital Immigrant to keep up with the times.

Literacy of the 21st century learner

     Literacy of today is so different!The learners of today have to be able to use new technology and under the literature of the past.  It takes skills to make meaning of the text and be able to decipher different types of great Literature works.  Then they must be able to use inquiry based learning to answer questions they may come up with.   The article What Do We Mean by Literacy by Jerome C. Harste from Voices from the Middle, Volume 10 Number 3, March 2003 addresses just that!  As an educator we must take what a student knows and work to incorporate needed materials.  In today’s society we are better able to do this with technology such as you tube, blogs, and investigations on line into certain works written and of different genres.  Students are not exposed to all the great works as we are when we are being educated and readied for our job!  The more we expose them the more their eyes are opened to a different part of this world they know nothing about.  A student who may not understand about the reason being a Moore in Othello is different then today’s times.   Why the language is so different in an acrostic poem or why we can translate poetry in many different ways. The language used to text is not that of an elegant letter written long ago and may seem to be a foreign language.  We must expose them and allow them to feel that they can ask questions and use the work to get answers

Task #3 Infographics



     This looks as though this book would be able to explain infographics a bit better then myself but, these are some of the pictures and items that seem to make the name and idea make sense to me.   I am a visual learner and after looking at the website I feel these spoke to me so I could understand so I feel these would be useful with students.     



  February 1997

Focuses on the theory and practical application of creating effective charts and graphics easily and quickly. Discusses the major types of infographics - glances, charts, maps, processes and diagrams. Paper.

 

 

 

     Infographics seem as an artistic way for students to take words and display them so that they make sense to them.  In some examples that were displayed about infographics it seems as though there is no right or wrong way to make one.  The colors and shapes words and display can be unique and different according to the designer. 

This is a visual way for people to inform Americans of the states and their obesity rates!   It says volumes!

How can these mean the same?  One a pie graph and the other a flag.   Both of the country flag of Andorra.   The eye and the transmission of meaning is important in it's symbolize.

     

To me as a teacher this is an awesome tool for teaching what happened and how it happened on D-Day.  A visual demonstration in Phases 1-5.



Students need a way to organize data and to be able to make their learned material make sense!   This really seems to work.  I can use it now.



Task #1 September 11,th 10 years later

This picture is a true symbol of our country from 9/11!  From the ash, smoke and flames our flag still could be seen!!!

How can we as teachers discuss 9/11 with our students until we talk to ourselves!  I can still remember where I was and what it felt like to see the twin towers on the TV with smoke poring out of them and thinking dear Lord please help us.  I was in Maryland about two hours from Washington DC.  I was at the school I was teaching and had gone for a quick bathroom break only to enter the teachers’ lounge and see the first plane hit the first tower on the TV, I stood in disbelief and started to cry as the rest of my fellow teachers did also.  Our country was under attack!  I can remember when the 2^nd plane hit and the pentagon being hit.   We were even let out of school early because we were considered close to DC.  Our country was not ready for this evil.   How did we as a country make it through that?   We did with pride, hope, and love and lots of memories of those that lost their life so that we could see what our country was made of.  The picture above has always been my favorite symbol of 9/11.  When they thought we had nothing we had it all.  How can this flag symbolize so much to so many?  In the ash, smoke and dust this captured my heart.  So many people died and have died in the past for us as a country to raise this flag.  We are Americans!  We are all different and yet we love our country in so many different ways.    Children lost that day with us and no matter how hard it is for us to explain we must!   The people we lost have forever changes the lives for our children in ways we may never know.  It is our duty to explain that innocent Americans lost their lives because not all people live in a free country like we do.  They need to know that the people who died were loved by someone and it made them sad.  They need to know that we as a country may heal but, we will never forget and that is why we have a memorial in New York and that we still pray for our country to be safe for the future.

            I as a teacher of kindergarten students know that matters of the heart and mind do not always make sense so I would share the movie from Nick.News     http://www.nick.com/videos/clip/nick-news-what-happened-the-true-story-of-september-11th-full-episode.html

There are many books written for children that as a teacher you could read to your class.  I can remember reading this to my class when it first came out after 9/11.   Children need to be able to express how they feel and this does it well.  Share and allow your students to do the same but, remember we are in control of the material and information we share.  We wise when sharing 9/11 to young students and make sur you let them know they are safe!!

Assessing what we have learned

Summer Semester has been very hands on and time on task!  I have learned alot mostly about my ability to use technology in to days world of education.  The integrated unit required me to step up and get with the new age of technology and integration of the Common Core Standards in lesson plans.  I feel that I gained a better understanding of why we need a rational for our lessons and setting good goals and objectives will lead a strong lesson.  I am very proud of the knowledge I gained this summer and feel that it will surely guide my teaching in the next school year.  Now when other teachers ask about the Common Core and how to use them in integrating I know I may up to the task.  I know I was able to meet the needs of my exceptional students but, I am more aware of them and their over all achievement now with the new standards. Now with best practices and the use of integrated lessons my future looks bright!!

Assessment

Assessment in the integrated unit is very interactive.  Because our unit is 4th grade then we will have a writing intensive unit about the Williams Fishery in Murfreesboro on the Meherrin River.  Our unit will have venn diagram, rubric for group activity.  Cumulative celebration will use a teacher and student rubric for assessing group presentation.  The activities that the students will complete will be artifacts of their learning.  Reflective writing, writing script for a flip slip video.  The assessment should be like the learning and authentic for students.  In the use of integration in the historicfishing unit I have found that The assessment tools used are useful to the students overall learning and assess their true learning. 

Authentic Experiences

 Daniels, H., Bizar, M.,(2005) Teaching the Best PracticesWay and  Madison, l., Rydant, A. L., Jobin, R. A., & Sterling, C.,(2006) Welcome to worm central.  Teaching PerK-8, 6(5), 52-53. Retrieved from http://www-teachingk-8.com/ ) used for my annotated bibliography about integration of math and science were very much alike.  The two readings express learning for students through active experiences.  Daniels and Bizar(2005) discusses how a class of students can observe earthworms for two weeks.  They tell how the students come up with their own questions to lead their learing for small groups to investigate what the worms eat, reproduce how long do they live?  The scientific inquiry helps to nuture the students interest and curiosity.  Madison, l., Rydant, A. L., Jobin, R. A., & Sterling, C.,(2006) Welcome to worm central.Teaching PerK-8,36(5), 52-53. Retrieved from http://www-teachingk-8.com/ does the same thing.  The forth grade class at Epping Elementary in Epping NH have adopted a Vermicomposting Geographic Curriculum.  It was developed by the (NHGA) New Hampshire Geographic Alliance and it helped to make Ms. Lisa Madison's classroom "worm central"!   The students used measurement,weight and other math skills to help build a vermi-village for the worms and all along making connections to our earth.  The lessons were earth related and how the worms helped the ground and make compost for the plants to grow.  I found this article to strongly support the authentic learning idea discussed.  If you wish to get more project ideas you can e-mail Lisa Madison at lmadison@sau14.k12.nh.us.

Task #3 art and social studies integrated with poetry

I would start my lesson with the class veiwing the picture on the site below.

Watercolor drawing "Indians Fishing" by John White (created 1585-1586). Licensed by the Trustees of the British Museum. ©Copyright the British Museum.

http://www.virtualjamestown.org/images/white_debry_html/plate42.html

The integrated unit that we are working on is the Murfreesboro Fisherys.  In our research we have found that the Native Americans had a large part of the techniques used to catch the herring in this area.  They used nets(seines) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seine_fishing which was an art. I would use the link to show the student what a seine is and looks like.  They used this as a way to eat.  Many artist have captured the art of fishing but, John White has captured it so nicely in some of his paintings and drawing of the Native Americans at the Roanoke Island.  Although this picture does not show the seines in use I do believe that it gives a clear depiction of the hard work and skill it took for the Native Americans to catch the fish.  I would use this picture as a reflection piece for asking the students what do they see happening and ask them to write and reflect about it and ask the students to anticipate what might happen next in this picture.  This would be a great way to see who has been fishing before by their answers.  I would then use the Internet to google Meherrin river and herring fish.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herring I feel like this poem below could be shared and paying more attention to the bold and underlined lines of the poem.  I would ask the students to relate why the herring are associated to stars and why do they mention nets and throwing them?  I then would ask the students to draw there on interpretation of what they think the Native Americans may have seen when they were on the river looking down as they caught the herring.

 Wynken Blynken and Nod

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe--
Sailed on a river of crystal light,
Into a sea of dew.
"Where are you going, and what do you wish?"
The old moon asked the three.
"We have come to fish for the herring fish
That live in this beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we!"
Said Wynken, Blynken, And Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song,
As they rocked in the wooden shoe,
And the wind that sped them all night long
Ruffled the waves of dew.
The little stars were the herring fish
That lived in that beautiful sea--
"Now cast your nets wherever you wish--
Never afeard are we";
So cried the stars to the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken, And Nod.

All night long their nets they threw
To the stars in the twinkling foam--Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,
Bringing the fishermen home;
'T was all so pretty a sail it seemed
As if it could not be,
And some folks thought 't was a dream they 'd dreamed
Of sailing t

Task #2 Unit II Melber and Hunter's Integrating Language Arts and Social Studies

In this task I would use the lesson Exploring Community History for the exploring of the historical fisherys in Murfreesboro NC.  I would use Frank Stephenson's book Herring Fishermen Images of An Eastern North Carolina Tradition.  There are many pictures in the book that were taken by him that could be used to compare the historical area and have students take present day pictures and compare how the area has changed.  As a teacher I would probably read the introduction to this book to my students and maybe even ask Mr. Stephenson to come to our classroom for a visit to help give some background information about the pictures and the area at that time the picture was taken.  The class could use the sample data sheet that is shown in the book on page 45 and still examine the pictures for part 1 Examining the Older image.  Then after the students take their up to date pictures of the area as it is today they could compare what may or may not remain.  The compare and contrast of the lesson would be a great activity to discuss how time changes the environment of a community.

Task #1 Chapter 4 Schell & Fisher's Teaching Social Studies: A Literacy-Based Approach

In this task #1 If I were to use the author's discussion of topics, themes, concepts, and big ideas then I would do it as such.  I would use the Murfreesboro Fisherys( Williams Fishery) and the people who with the help of their family made an idustry which changed the area.  I would use the people and their culture and the ideas of the historical roots that were set by those people that made their living through the Fishery and the way that they had the help from their family and it changed their way of life and had to support their living from their ability to use the fish from the Chowan and Meherrin Rivers.  The people not only used the herring to live but, it changed the area as we know it now.  The industry changed as the amount of herring depleted and many of the Fisherys could not support the Eastern North Carolina herring supply for supply and demand.  The herring disapeared and therefore the environment changed  and now we can look at the past and see how cultures and people and places are products of their surroundings. 

You never know what time will tell! Our life is full of artifacts.

                                                               Dorothy Louise Niblett

   My grandmother was a very loving person!  She had not had a loving childhood.  She lived in the country and her father was a farmer. Her dad was good and kind to her and think that is where she got her smile and laugh from that made me love her. Her mom was not very nice to her and made it known many times that she was not planned.  My grandmother always told me stories about how her mom would make her wear clothes in her least favorite color.  Her two older sisters always wore what they liked.  This first picture means the world to me and it has such meaning. My sister In Law found this in boxes after Mom Mom passed and gave everyone at Christmas.  Mom Mom had written her name on the picture and it made it even more special to see her handwriting.  There was not a dry eye in the room.  My grandmother (Mom Mom) always talked about how hard it was for her family as she grew up.  She said all three girls had to wear boys shoes which they ordered from the Sear catalog and had to help in the fields in the hot Maryland Eastern Shore Summers picking watermelons and corn.  She was very smart and she really ended up having a happy life compared to her other sisters.  She was 16 or 17 in the next picture and that is when she met my grandfather(Pop Pop) who really made her life look wonderful compared to his.  He had stopped school in the 6th grade to help his poor family try to make ends meet with odd jobs.  Mom Mom did go to school until the 11th grade which was all they had then.  She told me all the time not to stop learning because she had dropped out to marry Pop Pop but, she knew that times would change and I would not have to stop because of a man as she put it.  To me she was very smart and quick with numbers and even helped me with homework sometimes.  My memories of Mom Mom are artifacts that show how our times, world and priorities have changed.  She passed away several years back now but, some days I still want to pick up the phone and tell her what new things I have learned or done.  She was so proud that I was the first Chatham  to graduate with my 4 year degree.  She would be so proud of what I am doing now and would tell me all the time.  She was a person who I think would have gone further in life if maybe life and love hadn't gotten in the way.  So I will be proud to someday show her my master degree with Tonia Chatham Chlomoudis on it! 

  Although I know she already knows!! 

  Love ya,  Mom Mom 

Social Studies and what is it?

In Teaching Social Studies A Literacy- Based Approach by Emily Schell and Douglas Fisher Social Studies is identified in teacher terms.  On page 11, "What is Social Studies?"  history, geography, economics, and civics and government.  I was enlightened as I read this because it does seem a bit confusing when we talk about teaching Social Studies.  We can us all these parts to try to help our students become a good citizen and practice civic roles and responsibilities.  Our history is so important and our geography is a weakness of our students of our nation.  Economics helps with our students understandings of wants and needs.  Civics to understand our political and civic principles and the understanding of our government.  Social Studies seems a bit clearer with this definition and I think I see the integration of this subject better then I did before reading this section of the book.  It was a good read.

Integration of LA and SS/ May 17th Best Practices

        Best Practices showed me alot that I already knew but, needed to revisit.  I enjoyed the examples they gave in the book.  I really learned alot about the integration of curriculum.  I learned about this at Chowan in 1991-95 and we had to make a thematic unit which made alot of this make sense to me.  How do you know if you are integrating correctly?